Chicago Coalition for the Homeless
2015 Illinois Legislative Report
Legislation supported in the spring 2015 session
Updated December 2015
ECONOMIC JUSTICE
Senate Bill 1847: Public Aid - SNAP Gross Income
Expands Eligibility for SNAP/food stamps

Sponsors: Sen. Biss/Rep. Gabel

CCH partners: Shriver Center, Heartland Alliance

Status: Signed into law on 7/28/15 - Public Act 009-170
HEALTHCARE
House Bill 2731: Medicaid Managed Care Transparency
Requires monthly reports published by the Department of Family and Health Services regarding
enrollment of people on the State’s Medical Assistance program and enrollment in of recipients
into a Medicaid Managed Care entity.

Sponsors: Sen. Steans/Rep. Hernandez

CCH partners: Heartland Alliance, Ounce of Prevention Fund, SEIU Healthcare, Citizen
Action Illinois

Status: Signed into law 7/21/15 - Public Act 99-0086
House Bill 2812: Medicaid Sensitive Services
Provides information about sensitive health services to people enrolled in Managed Care upon
their request.

Sponsors: Rep. Mitchell/Sen Biss

CCH partners: Illinois Collaboration on Youth, AIDS Foundation of Chicago, SEIU
Healthcare Illinois and Indiana, Ounce of Prevention Fund

Status: Signed into law on 7/29/15 - Public Act 099-0181
EDUCATION
House Bill 397: Charter Schools - Restore Local Control
This legislation would restore local control of charter schools by preventing the Charter School
Commission from making the final decision for a new school.

Sponsors: Rep. Welch/Sen. Bush

CCH partner: Illinois Federation of Teachers

Status: Did not pass
House Bill 306: School Code-Assessments Excused
Allows student to be excused from state tests if a parent/guardian provides written request.

Sponsor: Rep. Guzzardi

CCH partner: Illinois Federation of Teachers

Status: Did not pass
House Bill 1360: School Code-Charter School-Health
Requires charter schools to comply with all non-curricular health and safety requirements
required of public schools.

Sponsors: Rep. Gabel/Sen. Biss

CCH partners: Ounce of Prevention, EverThrive Illinois, Shriver Center, Citizen Action
Illinois, SEIU
70 E. Lake St., Suite 720  Chicago, IL 60601  (312) 641-4140  FAX: (312) 641-4144

Status: Signed into law on 8/10/15 – Public Act 099-0325
House Bill 3197: Absenteeism
Creates a commission on student absenteeism in the Illinois State Board of Education.

Sponsors: Rep. Chapa-Lavia/Sen. Collins

CCH partner: Illinois Collaboration on Youth

Status: Signed into law on 8/21/15 – Public Act 099-0432
House Resolution 135: Homeless Student Housing
This resolution urges funding for housing scholarships for homeless students.

Sponsor: Rep. Ford

CCH partner: Illinois Collaboration on Youth

Status: Resolution adopted on 6/1/15
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
House Bill 494: Eliminating Absolute Bars - School Code
Reentry jobs access bill that amends the school code. Ends lifetime bars to employment for
people with a criminal conviction, imposes a seven-year wait after probation or parole.

Sponsors: Rep. Cassidy/Sen. Van Pelt

CCH partners: Community Renewal Society, Heartland Alliance, Cabrini Green Legal
Aid, Shriver Center

Status: Bill Dead – No Positive Action Taken- Amendatory Veto
Senate Bill 42: Eliminating Absolute Bars – Health Care
Reentry jobs access bill that would end bars to employment for people with cannabis possession
record. Removes bars to health care licensing for people with forcible felony convictions after
five years, under discretion of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.

Sponsors: Sen. Martine/Rep. Lily

CCH partners: Community Renewal Society, Heartland Alliance, Cabrini Green Legal
Aid, Shriver Center

Status: Did not pass
House Bill 2549: Best Candidate for the Job Act
Prohibits discrimination against people with criminal offenses as it relates to employment unless
there is a direct relationship between the offense and the employment being sought.

Sponsor: Rep. Golar

CCH partner: Shriver Center

Status: Did not pass
Senate Bill 1547: Tenant Contact Police
Prohibits enforcing laws that penalize people for contacting the police in emergencies.

Sponsors: Sen. Hutchinson/Rep. DeLuca

CCH partners: Shriver Center, Open Communities, Housing Action Illinois, Thresholds,
Project IRENE, ACLU of Illinois, Heartland Alliance

Status: Signed into law on 8/21/15 – Public Act 099-0441
House Bill 172: Juvenile Court Adult Pros Hearing
Eliminates provisions that require automatic prosecution of minors as adults.

Sponsor: Rep. Nekritz

CCH partners: ACLU of Illinois, Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Juvenile Justice Initiative

Status: Did not pass
70 E. Lake St., Suite 720
 Chicago, IL 60601  (312) 641-4140  FAX: (312) 641-4144
House Bill 3149: Record Sealing
Allows people who have earned a high school diploma, vocational training, bachelor’s degree,
associates degree, career certificate, or have passed the high school Test of General Educational
Development (GED) to petition for sealing eligible convictions prior to the statutorily required
four-year waiting period.

Sponsors: Rep. Cabello/Sen. Link

CCH partners: Shriver Center, Illinois Collaboration on Youth, Safer Foundation,
Chicago Jobs Council

Status: Signed into law on 8/21/15 – Public Act 099-0378
House Bill 3322: Fair Sentencing Act
Allows those convicted of a crime to petition the courts to be re-sentenced if the penalty for the
offense is modified by the General Assembly, so that the sentence complies with current law.

Sponsor: Rep. Cassidy

CCH partner: Shriver Center

Status: Did not pass
House Bill 3475: Certificate of Good Conduct
Expands the eligibility for Certificates of Good Conduct to include people who have committed
non-sex-related forcible felonies.

Sponsors: Rep. Mayfield/Sen. Biss

CCH partners: Shriver Center, Safer Foundation, Chicago Jobs Council, Community
Renewal Society, SEIU Healthcare

Status: Signed into law on 8/17/15 – Public Act 099-0381
House Bill 4021: Record Sealing
Allows adults to petition the courts to limit who can look at their non-violent or misdemeanor
convictions three years after they complete their sentence.

Sponsors: Rep. Golar

CCH partners: Shriver Center, SEIU Healthcare, Safer Foundation, Community Renewal
Society

Status: Did not pass
House Bill 218: Drug Possession
This legislation amends the criminal identification act by changing the penalty for possession of
cannabis (30 grams or less) from a misdemeanor to a ticket fine of $100.

Sponsors: Rep. Cassidy/Sen. Noland

CCH partners: ACLU of Illinois, Illinois Collaboration on Youth, Aids Foundation of
Chicago

Status: Bill Dead – No Positive Action Taken- Amendatory Veto
House Bill 2569: Criminal Procedure
This updates admonishment instructions given to defendants so that they are properly educated
about the consequences of pleading guilty to a crime. This includes information about how a
conviction will impact their ability to obtain housing, employment, and loans.

Sponsors: Rep. Cabello/Sen. Link

CCH partners: Shriver Center, Safer Foundation, ACLU of Illinois

Status: Did not pass
70 E. Lake St., Suite 720
 Chicago, IL 60601  (312) 641-4140  FAX: (312) 641-4144
Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS)
House Bill 3507/HCA1: DCFS
Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to provide services aimed at achieving
sustainable self-sufficiency to youth who are in foster care between ages from ages 18 to 21.

Sponsors: Rep. Robyn Gabel/Sen. Trotter

CCH partner: Loyola University Civitas ChildLaw Center

Status: Total Veto Stands – No Positive Action Statement
TRAFFICKING
Senate Bill 1588: Affirmative Defense
This legislation creates an affirmative defense that allows people facing prostitution charges to
refute charges caused by human trafficking. It provides an in-camera hearing for defendants who
are concerned about their safety in an open court.

Sponsors: Sen. Mulroe/Rep. Sims

CCH partners: Heartland Alliance, Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation,
Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Project IRENE

Status: Signed into law on 7/23/15 - Public Act 099-0109
MENTAL HEALTH PROTECTION
House Bill 217: Youth Mental Health Protection
Bans LGBT conversion therapy for minors by licensed mental health providers.

Sponsors: Rep. Cassidy

CCH partners: Illinois Collaboration on Youth, Night Ministry, Citizen Action Illinois

Status: Signed into law on 8/20/15 – Public Act 099-0411
CCH opposed the following legislation:
House Bill 255: Reduce Transportation to School
Lengthens from 1.5 miles to 2 miles the closest a pupil's residence can be from public or private
school and still ride the school bus. Sponsor Sosnowski is employed by a private school system.

Sponsor: Rep. Sosnowski

CCH partners in opposition: Illinois Federation of Teachers, Citizens Action Illinois,
Chicago Teachers Union, Shriver Center, Civitas Child Law Clinic, Loyola University
School of Law, Family Defense Center, Equip for Equality, Parents 4 Teachers,
Federation for Community Schools

Status: Did not pass
House Bill 216: School Expulsion
Allows schools to suspend a student for 10 days or expel a student for two years if the student
has been convicted of a felony or if school deems student has a detrimental impact on school.

Sponsor: Rep. Hoffman

CCH partners in opposition: Illinois Collaboration on Youth, Illinois African American
Family Coalition

Status: Did not pass
70 E. Lake St., Suite 720
 Chicago, IL 60601  (312) 641-4140  FAX: (312) 641-4144
House Bill 160: Eviction
Creates a fast track eviction process any time a landlord alleges a willful violation of a use and
occupancy order within seven days of the alleged violation.

Sponsor: Rep. Thapedi

CCH partners in opposition: Shriver Center, Housing Action Illinois, Lawyers Committee
for Better housing, Open Communities

Status: Did not pass
House Bill 3966: Foreclosure
Creates a path for evictions for squatters, which is in conflict with a law passed in 2009 that
provides protections for renters in foreclosed properties.

Sponsor: Rep. Sosnowski

CCH partners in opposition: Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Lawyers Committee for Better
Housing, Open Communities, Shriver Center, Housing Action Illinois

Status: Did not pass
70 E. Lake St., Suite 720
 Chicago, IL 60601  (312) 641-4140  FAX: (312) 641-4144